


AU - Wolf of the Stars

by Aria6



Series: A Coyote's Stories [51]
Category: Bleach
Genre: Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Gen, Mentions of Slavery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-15
Updated: 2015-02-15
Packaged: 2018-03-13 02:20:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3364145
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aria6/pseuds/Aria6





	AU - Wolf of the Stars

"OI! Starrk, wake up!"

"Mrph." The somnolent form on the crash couch pried open one eye. "What?" Did the ship need maintenance? Did he need to eat? His bodily needs were minimal so he sometimes forgot to tend to them until he was reminded. The little girl beside him – a robotic sock puppet, actually – bopped him lightly on the head.

"We found a live one! You need to get to the Captain's chair!" She said and Starrk's eyes opened wide.

"We did?" He pushed himself up, genuinely interested. "When was the last live one?" He asked and the larger ships AI immediately supplied the answer.

"Three hundred and fifty six years ago." She said, which was an entirely reasonable time frame given the vagarities of space travel and the fact that they were essentially mapping things as they went. All the easy targets had gone first. Now they were onto the colonies of colonies, expansions that had happened god-only-knew when. Starrk rubbed his beard before standing and stretching.

"Well, I can't wait to see." Although in the past, he would have dreaded this. Everything was so much better after they'd officially gone insane. Humming to himself, Starrk went to the Captain's chair. It was really a very comfortable thing, furnished out of something that looked like black leather and well-worn with the imprint of his backside. Settling into it, he rested his cheek on his hand as the ship's computer flashed their new target on the screen.

"We're not even in orbit yet?" Starrk said, disappointed, then yelped as Lilynette kicked him in the leg.

"OI! We're just entering the solar system! We thought we'd get you now 'cause it looks like there used to be two here. Show him the stuff from the Mars planet!" She ordered herself. Lilynette was theoretically part of the ship's computer, although she'd split off from it during a psychotic episode.

"I do not answer to you." The computer responded with a sniff. Its voice was female and much older, but often it sounded oddly like Lilynette. Starrk smiled as he spoke.

"Come now, Mother. We just want to see." He said coaxingly and it immediately softened. The planet in question flashed into place and Starrk winced at the sight. It was clear what had happened. "Someone scorched it." That was an action meant to render a planet barely habitable so a follow up team of new and more amenable colonists could be planted. "Damn them. Mars type planets don't recover from that!" Earthlike planets could take it easily but with planets that were technically outside the Goldilocks zone, life was more delicate. The lack of atmosphere said everything that needed to be said.

"Yeah. Look at this though!" What came up next was an Earthlike planet. Starrk watched, fascinated, as faint lights glowed from the surface. "Looks pre-industrial. But we got population Starrk!"

"Ah, excellent." If it was pre-industrial than the inhabitants had experienced a societal devolution. That was fine. In fact, he considered it better than fine. Circumstances and insanity had forced a kind of flexibility on Mother, but she could still get sticky when confronted with a civilization that technically had the resources to reach out to Central. If a society was devolved, they were automatically given more leeway. "…Does that look like scorch damage to you?" One continent in particular seemed very barren to him. Mother spoke, her voice serene.

"We will not be able to tell until we make orbital. However, preliminary analysis indicates you are correct." She said and Starrk winced.

"Ouch." Colonists could survive a scorch and rebuild, but it was an agonizing process if they didn't have help. And he was absolutely sure these people hadn't been given a helping hand. If anything, they'd gotten a kick in the teeth. "Oh well." It had undoubtedly happened millennia ago. In fact… "Any idea when it happened?" They couldn't tell from the Earthlike planet but they might be able to get an idea from the Mars one.

"Can't tell at this distance." Lilynette answered. "But we'll know better when we get into orbit around the Mars one. You want to do that first? It's closer." That was the kind of decision they always left to him and Starrk made it instantly.

"Yes, let's do that." It would be nice to scout out the Mars planet, see what the history was, before tackling the Earthlike one. "Do we have names for this place?" It was unlikely but they might be on the map.

"No. Would you care to name it?" Ah, one of the great perks of his job. Starrk smiled, gazing into the screen. "Although the natives undoubtedly have a name for it."

"Earth." Lilynette said acerbically and Starrk barked a laugh.

"Yes, we are greatly lacking in creativity." He said humorously. Societies that had managed to maintain some level of technology often had creative names for their worlds, realizing that they were not the original Earth. Those who had gone through a complete devolution, though, often had no clue and went with the old standby. "I'll wait until we get into orbit." Then they would know more about the planet and he could come up with something creative.

It took several hours to arrive at the Mars planet and Starrk entertained himself by looking at the gas giant they passed on the way. It was very pretty, blues and greens and plenty of blobby black lines. Then he dozed a bit in his chair before being roused again by Lilynette.

"We're here! Take a look!" Starrk gazed at the planet, feeling a deep sadness. In terms of atmosphere and temperature, the planet was definitely uninhabitable. It hadn't always been that way, though. He could see the wreckage of cities, the broken shards of what had once been a small but thriving civilization.

"Did it really have to be this way?" He murmured before heaving a small sigh. "Ah, well." There was nothing for it. It had all happened a very long time ago. "Hm." The planet itself had an odd golden color and he could already tell it had frequent dust storms. "We will call it Gold Dust." That was pretty enough. "Any idea when it happened?"

"The scorch residue is almost non-existent. From the condition of the failed terraforming I would estimate roughly eight thousand years." Mother reported and Starrk sighed.

"Way to make me feel old." They had been going about their business much longer than that. "The final stage of the conflict, then." Earth had been destroyed not long after. "Explains why there was no follow up." Although more recent scorches had been done. He'd conducted a few of them, before Mother had lost her mind. Starrk resolutely refused to think about it. He hadn't been to blame for faulty programming. "Well, we should probably move on." As pretty as the world was, it was also vastly depressing.

The Earthlike world, though, was a breath of sunshine. Starrk smiled as he gazed at the screen in front of him.

"Ain't it pretty?" Lilynette said enthusiastically and Starrk's smile widened as he nodded. It was very pretty. Peeking from beneath white clouds he could see mountains, rainforests and grasslands, all the signs of verdant life. All interspersed with the signs of human habitation. Eight thousand years was more than enough for a population to fully recover. Although…

"It's not a garden world." He'd seen planets like that, which were largely blessed with temperate weather and ideal for massive food production. This one, though, had a significant axial tilt. "Winters must get unpleasant." From what the side screens were showing, the planet got fairly far away from the sun on part of its yearly loop. It would be a cold place when that happened. "A fair amount of glaciation." It wasn't an ice age but it was close. All the major habitation was fairly close to the equator and the rainforest area was minimal. "Well, I think I've seen enough to name it." He'd often spent time looking through old records and coming up with suitable names. "Bujune. It means sorrow, and it's often given to a child born into very difficult times." He thought it was fitting, given that the current civilization had come out of the damage of a scorch. "Are we broadcasting?"

"Yeah. No response." Lilynette said, cleaning her ear with one finger. Starrk nodded. He would have been shocked to get a response with a world like this. Still, it was protocol and Mother saw no reason to change something so harmless. Starrk was willing to humor her.

So he just relaxed, his hands behind his head as he gazed at the beautiful thing beneath him. A solid hour later, Mother spoke.

"Lack of response confirmed. Ceasing broadcast." She said and he nodded. "Three possible landing sites have been selected." She displayed them on the world in red dots and Starrk considered them thoughtfully.

"I like that one." He gestured vaguely towards one that was in a more northerly clime. "It sings." There was no real logic to his decision. He just liked something about it, the mountains nearby, the great grassland it bordered on. "Shall we?" He was eager to get started on this survey of a new world. Well, technically, he would be looking for signs of treason. That was his mission, after all. Starrk's lips twisted wryly at the thought.

Sometimes, his life seemed like a ridiculous joke.

* * *

Starrk ventured through the woods, cautiously moving towards a temporary encampment. He could easily tell it was temporary from the campfires and tents.

He intended to observe for a while, learning the language before he made any kind of move to contact these people. For all he knew, they would be immediately hostile towards him. They would be no kind of threat to his enhanced body but it was still wise to be cautious. They were speaking a derivative of Galactic Standard. That made it very easy for him to understand, despite the drift caused by time. Smiling to himself, he prepared to make contact.

His clothing was not typical of someone from this world, but it was simple and modest. It was meant to be nondescript, nothing that could be mistaken as an actual affiliation. It was also loose, so as not to flaunt his body in any way. Starrk expected a curious but not particularly hostile reaction.

That was not what he got. Starrk was slightly surprised when a crossbow bolt went for his face. He caught it without thought and there was a shout. Suddenly, he was being attacked by a man with a sword? And there were plenty behind him.

Starrk had time to flee but he was caught flat footed. Instead of running, he evaded, trying to talk.

"I just want to speak to you – " The strangers weren't listening and Starrk was now surrounded. He had to constantly keep moving, evading blows and trying to think of a way out of his fix. "Please stop!" Why were they attacking him this way? Then someone shouted something he couldn't make out.

Starrk's eyes went wide with shock as what felt like a chain wound around his body. Looking down, he saw it was glowing with golden force. He automatically tried to evaluate it but could find nothing. What had they just…?

_OH WOW! Starrk, that's a physical projection!_ Lilynette sounded enthusiastic and he blinked. Projection? That was a very rare talent. Mother spoke then and she was deeply concerned.

_You are in excessive danger. Free yourself and escape._ Starrk frowned as a sword was pressed against his throat. He still wasn't really in that much danger, despite what Mother was saying. She was always very worried about him but he was extremely hard to kill.

"What are you doing here, shinigami?" The man in front of him spat, to his further confusion.

"I am sorry. I don't understand." He apologized, testing the strength of his bonds. Yes, he could break them if he chose. But he was trying to make contact. "What is a shinigami?" He'd never encountered that word before.

_Japanese term. Translation: Death God. The word is completely unrelated to Galactic Standard, which is curious._ Mother said. Starrk wanted to hush her but the men around him were apparently starting to notice discrepancies.

"That is not a shinigami uniform. It just looks like it from a distance." Starrk sighed to himself. Apparently his unidirectional clothing was not good enough. "Who are you?"

"I am just a traveler from far away." He said as innocently as he could, trying to look harmless. Maybe they would forget about how he'd caught that crossbow bolt. That action had been inhuman. "I was hoping to find directions…" There was harsh laughter and a small sense of relaxation around him.

"He's just an ***." A non-standard word that he didn't quite catch. Starrk had a definite feeling it wasn't a complement. "Let's get him into some real chains. He'll fetch a fine price in the Kusajishi slave market."

_Yuck. Oh well?_ Lilynette commented as Starrk grimaced to himself. It wasn't a huge shock, to find out a devolved culture practiced slavery but it still wasn't welcome. He considered trying to escape before deciding against it. He wanted to learn about these people. From the bottom up was as good a way as any.

Before the day was over, though, he was rethinking that. They stripped him of his clothing, chaining him around his neck and wrists with stout iron chains. He could easily snap them, of course, but his captors didn't know that. Then they branded him on his left shoulder. Starrk handled the pain easily and glanced over his shoulder to see a circle with horns. What did that mean?

After the branding he was dragged to join the other slaves. Starrk was realizing the purpose of this gathering, now. It was a slave caravan. The guards over them, though, seemed very on edge. He listened in and as they sat and waited, he gradually pieced together a picture. It helped that his hearing was much better than human norms. His captors clearly had no idea he could hear them.

They were bandits, being paid by a rival clan to steal villagers from the 'Kyoraku clan'. They had already conducted several successful missions but they were worried about this one, afraid they had been detected. And if they were caught, it sounded like the penalties would be severe. Very soon, they would be moving out with the slaves they had taken.

Starrk was given a bowl of beans for supper. They were mushy and not particularly good, so he gave most of his bowl to a small, malnourished looking little girl. She devoured his food without a qualm. Settling in, he took a nap. Sleeping was one of his great joys in life.

He'd take the opportunity to do it.

* * *

Shunsui smiled grimly as he prepared himself for battle.

He knew exactly who had hired these bandits… it was a ploy by the Shihoin clan. However, he was certain he would find no proof of it. Or perhaps the bandits would give another name, primed to misdirect him. It didn't matter. They had gotten away with it for a while but now, he would take care of them.

The attack went off flawlessly. There were screams as the kido began going off. Shunsui joined the attack, determined the end the bandits before they could massacre their prisoners. Such things were often done and these bastards had already proven themselves to be ruthless.

It didn't take long for them to prevail. The scum they were facing had only a few kido wielders and no one powerful. Soon he was sorting through the villagers. They were pathetically grateful to see him and he spent some time reassuring them, telling them that their homes would be rebuilt, their livelihoods restored. As part of that, their slave brands would be etched out, with symbols of his clan. However, that was for later, when these people had recovered. Right now he would just get them home.

As he worked, though, he gradually became aware of something strange. He felt like someone was watching him and it was different, somehow. Turning he met the gaze of a young man. Grey-blue eyes, the shade reminding him of sun through a cloudy sky, met his. The calm of those eyes reminded him of a priest… or his best friend, Juushiro. Blinking at the thought, he looked over the man. His hair was dark chestnut, cut shoulder length, and he had a small, scraggly beard. His clothing was nothing but a pair of loose black pants and Shunsui walked over to him, feeling almost mesmerized. As he got closer he saw the stranger was very fit, not at all starved. Most of the other villagers were hungry looking but not this young man.

"Who are you?" He asked before gripping his shoulder to check the slave brand. It was the mark for a murderer and he frowned as he looked at it. All the other villagers had half-healed wounds but this brand looked like it had been put there years ago. "How long have you been a slave?" He asked, a chill entering his voice. The young man just blinked at him before smiling in a guileless manner. Shunsui immediately distrusted it yet found it strangely amusing. That was exactly how Juu looked, when he was trying to sell him on an idea.

"Several years." He said smoothly and Shunsui nodded, feeling a bit of sadness. He didn't like to think this young man was a murderer but the brand… he might belong to one of the villagers. But then a little girl suddenly spoke.

"No, they branded him yesterday!" She said and the young man looked momentarily befuddled. "Why you tellin' him that? You crazy?" Shunsui chuckled at the look on his face.

"Yes, why did you tell me that?" He believed the little girl more and he had a good idea of why the man might have lied. He hesitated before giving Shunsui a sheepish smile.

"I heal strangely quickly. Some have called me a demon. And right now I am rather helpless." He said, tugging on his chains for emphasis. Shunsui nodded, finding this story more likely. And that meant…

"You must have great talent." That was what the man was hiding. High reiatsu could be a great liability. Too many people thought of it as demonic. "What is your name?" He'd asked but the young man hadn't answered.

"Oh. Coyote Starrk." He answered and Shunsui blinked at the foreign sounding name. "I am a traveler. I was looking for a place to settle down, far from home." That sounded interesting.

"You'll have to tell me more about that. For now…" He looked over the chains and muttered a quick kido spell. They parted and he saw the young man looking at them in astonishment. That made him smile. Coyote Starrk clearly had no idea how to use his internal power.

If he was telling the truth, at least. He could be a spy. The man was interesting and likeable, but that might only mean he'd been sent with Shunsui's sensibilities in mind. He made a mental note to introduce Juushiro to the man. His best friend could sense the intentions of a person, no matter how they wanted to hide it.

He would know if Coyote Starrk could be trusted.


End file.
